1. Technical Field
The present application relates generally to system and methods for automatic vocal coaching and, more particularly, to system and methods for automatically critiquing the pitch, rhythm and pronunciation or diction of a vocal performance of a singer in accordance with pre-programmed criteria.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is often useful for a person who aspires to be a singer to have his/her vocal performance critiqued by a professional singing coach on a regular basis so that the person's singing skills can be sharpened. For instance, critiquing a person's pitch, rhythm, and diction during a vocal performance can help the person identify and focus on any weaknesses or shortcomings of his/her singing technique or style, which helps improve the person's singing ability. Unfortunately, few singers have a professional singing coach available on a continuous basis, and may unknowingly lapse into errors during their private practice sessions.
There are some commercially available interactive multimedia software programs which allow a person to practice his/her singing skills at his/her own pace and convenience. These multimedia programs, however, are limited and do not provide the level of guidance and assistance that a professional singing coach can provide. For instance, the multimedia program SING! by Musicware Inc. is one example of such software. The SING! program is very limited since it only deals with pitch and rhythm and cannot analyze songs. In particular, the user is provided with a series of vocal exercises in a certain sequence that the user must perform and the program checks the exercises. Accordingly, there is a need for an interactive multimedia vocal coaching system that can provide the level or breadth of guidance that a singer can receive from a professional vocal coach.